Cupola

You Tube video of the dedication of the Cupola on the International Space Station. The Cupola has seven windows. Six in a hexagon shape and the seventh in the center.

There were eleven crew members on the ISS during the STS-130 mission, which installed the Tranquility module (Node 3) and completed the American portion of the Space Station. Five from the current ISS staff and six from the Space Shuttle Endeavour.

At 11:30 PM Phoenix time (1:30 AM EST) the astronauts are 4 hours into their EVA and have completed the installation of the Cupola on the Tranquility Node 3. All of the windows on the Cupola have been tested.

The astronauts are currently routing wiring and cables for Tranquility.

And finally, all the windows open at the same time. We are looking down at the Sahara Desert.

You can see where each of the ISS modules are located in this exploded view. Tranquility and the Cupola are in blue.

At 6:00 PM Phoenix time (8:00 PM EST), the Space Shuttle is approximately 37 nautical miles from the International Space Station.

Endeavour is scheduled to dock with the International Space Station at 10:06 PM Phoenix time on Tuesday, 9 February (12:06 AM EST Wednesday) over the northern coast of Spain.

Endeavor continues to close on the ISS. At 6:30 PM, Endeavor will execute a one second burn of its Reaction Control System (RCS) to adjust its approach velocity by 1/4 of a foot per second.

Image Credit: NASA TV
Aft Deck of Shuttle

Kay Hire preparing for docking. Aft deck of the Space Shuttle.

At 6:50 PM, the Shuttle is 40 minutes away from its terminal initiation approach burn, at which time it will be about 50,000 feet away from the ISS. This burn will slow the approach by about 5 miles per hour.

The shuttle is currently passing over the Mediterranean.

Image Credit: NASA TV
Over the Mediterranean

Image Credit: NASA TV
Shuttle Closing on ISS

Image Credit: NASA TV
Shuttle From ISS

Image Credit: NASA TV
ISS from the Shuttle: Closer

Image Credit: NASA TV
ISS Docking Port: 100 Feet

Image Credit: NASA TV
Flying Shuttle to the ISS Docking Port

At 10:00 AM Phoenix time, Endeavour is 35 feet from the ISS, and closing at 0.08 feet per second. Six minutes form docking.

The Shuttle has initiated final approach.

Closing at 0.1 feet per second.

Three minutes. Distance is 17 feet away from the ISS.

“14 feet at point one”.

Shuttle has docked at 10:06 PM Phoenix time.

Image Credit: NASA TV
Three Feet From Docking Port

Image Credit: NASA TV
Soft Dock Confirmed

Image Credit: NASA TV
Shuttle from ISS View Port

Right now, mission control is waiting for the final vibrations between Endeavour and the International Space Station to completely die down. When this happens, the docking ring will be drawn back in and the final latches will be closed.

Subsequently, a series of leak checks will be performed between the two spacecraft.

The hatch between Endeavour and the ISS will be opened in about two hours.

At 10:25 PM Phoenix time (12:25 AM EST), we wish you all a good night, and best wishes to the crews for a successful mission.

Now that the Saints have won the Super Bowl, we can get back to the important events that affect the real world.

At the moment we are in a built in hold at T-minus 3 Hours. Weather is looking very good. The Air Force 45th Weather Office is optimistic.

At 9:57 PM Phoenix time (11:57 PM EST) we have about 25 minutes left in this built in hold.

The current satellite weather map looks very favorable. There is only a thin band of clouds approaching Florida and the Cape that may affect the launch.

Weather is currently at 60% for a launch.

At 10:00 PM Phoenix time, there are no technical issues being worked prior to launch at 2:14 AM Phoenix time. Weather is expected to be favorable for launch on time. There are about 20 minutes remaining in this hold.

We will resume live blog about 30 minutes prior to launch.

Image Credit: NASA TV

Image Credit: NASA TV

Suiting up astronauts for STS-130.

At 1:55 AM Phoenix time we are at T-minus 9 minutes and holding. This is the standard hold, and are a few minutes from resuming the count. There are no issues at the present time and the range is clear. Launch in 15 minutes.

At 2:00 AM (4:00 EST) launch director is checking all systems prior to resuming the count. All systems are reporting GO. Weather is go. Endeavour is clear for launch.

L-11 minutes. Two minutes from resuming the count.

The count has resumed at t-9 minutes. There are no issues. Weather is good.

60 seconds and counting.

Launch.

Image Credit: NASA TV
Main Engine Ignition

Image Credit: NASA TV
Lift Off

Image Credit: NASA TV
15 Seconds into Flight

Image Credit: NASA TV
SRB Burnout

Image Credit: NASA TV
Booster Separation

Image Credit: NASA TV
Main Engine Cut Off

Image Credit: NASA TV
Endeavour Chasing ISS

One Hour after launch, Endeavor is in a stable orbit and chasing the International Space Station.

Endeavour is the last night launch. For 2010, that is one successful launch, with four to go until the Space Shuttle is retired.

The major mission for Endeavour (STS-130) is to deliver the Tranquility module (Node 3) to the International Space Station.

Tranquility will connect to the Unity module (Node 1). The connection point is on the Earth-facing side, and will provide an additional docking point for space shuttles and other crew vehicles visiting the station.

“It gives us a much needed addition to the house, so to speak,” said Bob Dempsey, lead space station flight director for the mission.

See this image for an exploded view of the ISS and the location of the various modules including Tranquility and the Cupola.

At 15 feet wide and 23 feet long, the Tranquility node will provide a centralized home for the station’s environmental control equipment – one of the systems that remove carbon dioxide from the station’s air, one of the station’s bathrooms and the equipment that converts urine into drinkable water, all of which is currently taking up space in the Destiny laboratory. And there’s enough room left over to house the station’s new treadmill and its microgravity equivalent of a weight machine, moving it out of the Unity node where it’s in the way whenever spacewalk preparations are going on inside the adjacent Quest airlock.

The Cupola is the real star of the show. It will be to provide a true view of robotics operations on the station’s exterior – especially when the next module, the Russian Rassvet, is added during STS-132.

The view of the Cupola at the left is from the clean room in the Alenia Spazio facility in Turin, Italy, where it was manufactured for the European Space Agency. Tranquility and the Cupola were shipped to the Kennedy Space Center aboard an Airbus “Beluga” aircraft in May 2009.

The view from the Cupola will include the Earth and the Japanese and Russian sections of the ISS.

Next Meeting – Jan. 17 with Sian Proctor

The February meeting of the Phoenix Chapters of the National Space Society and The Moon Society will feature a viewing of the documentary film "Lunarcy!" From Amazon: "With wry humor and affection, Simon Ennis' 'Lunarcy!' follows a disparate group of dreamers and schemers who share one thing in common; they've all devoted their lives to the Moon."

Note that this film features NSS's own Chris Carson and Peter Kokh of the Moon Society.

By Dale Skran, Deputy Chair, NSS Policy Committee Please consider joining the MARCH STORM Congressional action event organized by the Space Frontier Foundation and the National Space Society March 15-19. The MARCH STORM focuses on space development and settlement via a … Continue reading →

The National Space Society (NSS) and the Space Frontier Foundation (SFF) will announce the formation of the jointly managed Alliance for Space Development (ASD) at a media event on 25 February in Washington DC. ASD (allianceforspacedevelopment.org) is dedicated to influencing … Continue reading →